Hello,
I myself have a peanut and nut allergy and my 17 year old son is allergic to peanuts, nuts, green beans, kidney beans, sesame, celery and soy protein isolate. He has just gone off to University in Canada and I have to say that I was very disappointed with the catering department at the University and the Housing Department. When I originally contacted the Housing Department about the cafeteria and there practice of having peanuts, nuts and cooking with sesame on the premises I was told that maybe with my sons allergies this was not the University for him. After coming from two different schools that were nut free along with most of Toronto I reaIly couldn't believe that and I very politely asked her if she had heard of Sabrinas Law. She said yes she was aware of it but they had vegetarians at the school and they had to offer the nuts, peanuts as protein for them. I asked her why they were not packaged like Mcdonalds and again I was told that was the way they did it and if this was going to be a issue my son should attend another University. I had been in touch with the cafeteria staff and supervisor prior to my son going to school and I had copies of the menus, suppliers of the food. We made two visits to the cafeteria and met with the staff all before he began his year. I purchased a toaster for my sons use as they use bread with nuts it in the toasters. This so far is working out well but again I find it very hard to understand why they wouldn't be nut free with that many kids attending the University and a nut allergy so prevalent. My son keeps his frig in his room stocked with cheese, fruit, home made snacks and visits the off campus establishments that he can eat at. We were advised by his allergist to make sure he had a single room so there would not be a issue with a room mate and my son would have a safe environment at least in his room. Thank goodness he is vigilant and very well adjusted but I must say he even was surprised with the fact that the cafeteria was not nut free.

Wow! Advocacy for our allergic kids is still needed even when they head off to University. This year my daughter is living at home for her first year. Next year she wants to go away. The university she wants to go to appears to be really receptive to the needs of allergic students. I am still nervous about the food she would get in the cafeteria (cross-contamination). She would be able to get her own room but they have rules about not having hot plates or items that create heat in rooms. A communal kitchen would be too risky. We will visit and stay as guests in a residence before making the decision to move.

Interested in successful strategies other peanut allergic students have used to make the transition to residence life safe.

Being mostly Vegan when I can, I had to find good healthy sources of protein when I couldn't afford the tofu. I believe that the school is just simply uninformed about alternative sources of protein. I put a list of good solid protein sources at the bottom. I hope you find it useful. Also, if you were to get into contact with the Vegan Organizer on campus (the student organization, if one exists), they may be very useful in getting the campus educated on food and nutrition. Even if they had a Vegan with allergies to dairy, legumes, etc. the vegan would also have to be allergic to Brown rice, spinach, broccoli and potatoe in order to require nuts as a protein source.

The school I went to, didn't care if you were allergic, vegetarian, vegan, etc. Fortunately, I was not a freshman as I had transferred schools after being out of school for 10+ yrs., so was not required to stay on campus like others were. I cooked all my own foods, and brought them with me. Now, however, we have many schools that are nut free zones. I do not know of any at the college/university level though in my state.

Here's a list of Vegan Protein sources, with the nuts, soy products, and products that may contain traces of soy taken out of the list.

I wonder if you addressed the issue through the Dean or Student Services rather than through the Catering Dept. If you'd have better luck.
If not, try the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. http://www.aucc.ca/about_us/index_e.html

"Because we always have done so." Is not a reason!

Hmm, I've looked at Bill 3 again and it states that "Expressions in this Act related to education have the same meaning as in the Education Act, unless the context requires otherwise. 2005, c. 7, s. 1 (2)."
That seems to mean only elementary and secondary schools, darn!
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statut ... _e.htm#BK2

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